Cartons and carriers formed from a blank of low-cost foldable material, such as paperboard, are well known in the prior art. Typically, the paperboard blank is pre-cut into a desired shape, and provided with a plurality of fold or score lines which facilitate formation of the blank into a desired erected carton.
Such paperboard cartons normally have special structural configurations and features to accommodate specific articles to be placed therein, and to provide appropriate positioning for safety of such articles. The blanks must be capable of relatively easy and low cost initial manufacture, and susceptible of shipment to an ultimate user in a convenient shipping condition, preferably flat. Furthermore the blanks must be easy to erect or assemble into a carton on automatic carton forming and filling production lines.
The blank to form a completed or erected carton may include a partition with cut outs to accommodate particular configurations and shapes of articles to be placed in the completed carton. Preferably the material, configuration, and construction provide for the appropriate spacing of the articles within the carton. Ease of insertion of the articles is necessary, and subsequent thereto article protection must be provided at reasonable limits of cost. In the past, it has proven difficult to provide a low-cost, easily erectable carton that accomodates a wide range of irregular bottles or other articles, and protect the bottles during handling, shipping and use by the consumer.